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Crazy hairy ants now in Terrebonne

In this photo provided by Mississippi State Entomological Museum, a queen Nylanderia pubens (ant) specimen is seen in Starkville, Miss., Friday, Nov. 6, 2009. Hairy crazy ants are on the move in Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Published: Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 5:19 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 5:19 p.m.

Do you have small reddish-brown ants running around like crazy in your home that don't seem to respond to baits or traditional pesticides?

If that's the case, the crazy hairy ant may have moved in with you.

Crazy hairy ants are native to the Caribbean and made their first U.S. appearance in southern Florida during the 1950s. The ants didn't stray far from there until the early 2000s, when their numbers seemingly exploded, said Zack Lemann, visitor-programs manager at the Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans.

Reported sightings came from Houston and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

In Texas, where they've been spotted in 18 counties, they've invaded homes and industrial complexes, urban areas and rural areas. They travel in cargo containers, hay bales, potted plants, motorcycles and moving vans. They overwhelm beehives — one Texas beekeeper was losing 100 a year in 2009. They short out industrial equipment.

If one gets electrocuted, its death releases a chemical cue to attack a threat to the colony, said Roger Gold, an entomology professor at Texas A&M.

The only local report comes from Schriever, where they were collected from a family home, said Barton Joffrion, a local agent with the LSU AgCenter. The family brought the ants into the AgCenter for testing, he said.

Crazy hairy ant might seem like a weird name, but it's an apt one, Lemann said. The ant's body is covered with small hairs, and it runs erratically when disturbed.

The ant has also been called the Caribbean crazy ant and the Rasberry crazy ant, after the man who found them in Houston.

It is considered a nuisance pest, but “it can have a serious economic impact as it is difficult to control,” said Victoria Bayless, an LSU AgCenter scientist.

The ant is yet another example of an invasive species, one that is not native to this country and, once in the lush swamps of south Louisiana thrive to the point where they outgrow native species.

Other examples include the root-eating nutria, whose helps speed coastal erosion, and the apple snail, whose impact is still being studied.

Lemann said the one bright spot in the invasion of the crazy hairy ants is that they don't seem to cause any environmental problems beyond being annoying to humans.

The hairy crazy ants form extremely large colonies and usually do not respond to pesticides that control other ants.

“There can be a quarter of a million of them in one colony and they have multiple queens,” Lemann said, which means if one queen dies the colony can continue to survive.

They also seem to be attracted to circuitry and will sometimes invade and break electronics.

<p>Do you have small reddish-brown ants running around like crazy in your home that don't seem to respond to baits or traditional pesticides?</p><p>If that's the case, the crazy hairy ant may have moved in with you.</p><p>Crazy hairy ants are native to the Caribbean and made their first U.S. appearance in southern Florida during the 1950s. The ants didn't stray far from there until the early 2000s, when their numbers seemingly exploded, said Zack Lemann, visitor-programs manager at the Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans.</p><p>Reported sightings came from Houston and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.</p><p>In Texas, where they've been spotted in 18 counties, they've invaded homes and industrial complexes, urban areas and rural areas. They travel in cargo containers, hay bales, potted plants, motorcycles and moving vans. They overwhelm beehives — one Texas beekeeper was losing 100 a year in 2009. They short out industrial equipment.</p><p>If one gets electrocuted, its death releases a chemical cue to attack a threat to the colony, said Roger Gold, an entomology professor at Texas A&M. </p><p>The only local report comes from Schriever, where they were collected from a family home, said Barton Joffrion, a local agent with the LSU AgCenter. The family brought the ants into the AgCenter for testing, he said.</p><p>Crazy hairy ant might seem like a weird name, but it's an apt one, Lemann said. The ant's body is covered with small hairs, and it runs erratically when disturbed.</p><p>The ant has also been called the Caribbean crazy ant and the Rasberry crazy ant, after the man who found them in Houston.</p><p>It is considered a nuisance pest, but “it can have a serious economic impact as it is difficult to control,” said Victoria Bayless, an LSU AgCenter scientist.</p><p>The ant is yet another example of an invasive species, one that is not native to this country and, once in the lush swamps of south Louisiana thrive to the point where they outgrow native species.</p><p>Other examples include the root-eating nutria, whose helps speed coastal erosion, and the apple snail, whose impact is still being studied.</p><p>Lemann said the one bright spot in the invasion of the crazy hairy ants is that they don't seem to cause any environmental problems beyond being annoying to humans.</p><p>The hairy crazy ants form extremely large colonies and usually do not respond to pesticides that control other ants. </p><p>“There can be a quarter of a million of them in one colony and they have multiple queens,” Lemann said, which means if one queen dies the colony can continue to survive.</p><p>They also seem to be attracted to circuitry and will sometimes invade and break electronics.</p><p>Don't let the crazy hairy ant and another hated invasive ant species, the painful red fire ant, give insects a bad reputation, Lemann said.</p><p>Ants play an important role in the environment, like aerating the soil and spreading seeds to promote plant growth.</p><p>“The vast majority of ants are doing a good job on this planet,” Lemann said.</p><p>If you suspect crazy hairy ants have become an unwelcome guest in your home, you may submit samples to the Louisiana State Arthropod Museum for identification. </p><p>Go to the museum's website, www.lsuinsects.org for submission instructions. A $20 fee is required. It helps support the museum's services. </p><p>You also may contact your local LSU AgCenter office for advice on pest control. The number is 873-6495 in Terrebonne and 446-1316 in Lafourche.</p>